A forming press may be used to perform various forming operations on a sheet metal workpiece such as piercing, timing, flanging, forming and the like. To provide the necessary force to the press die or tool acting on the metal workpiece, some previous forming presses have utilized a fluid actuated cylinder under pressure, such as a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder. Fluid cylinders, whether pneumatic or hydraulic, require highly effective seals to prevent leakage of the fluid under pressure. Contaminants adjacent the cylinder can degrade or destroy the seals resulting in fluid leaks which cause a reduced output force of the press or failure of the press. This may require replacement of the seal or, in some cases, the entire fluid cylinder. Thus, the fluid actuated cylinders are not durable, are somewhat expensive, and due to leakage may provide a decreasing force to the press ram over the life of the cylinder thereby affecting the performance of the press.
Still further, fluid actuated cylinders, in order to provide sufficient force to the press rain are generally quite large and relatively slow in operation. There are many constraints on the size of the cylinders for instance, the high pressure required for the necessary output and the high temperatures of the cylinder in use, among other factors which occur during use of the cylinders.